Method and apparatus for driving piles

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for driving a hollow pile comprising a rotatable shaft axially removably disposed in said pile and having first spray nozzle means provided at lower end thereof, means for supporting the shaft in said pile and axially removing it out of the pile, means for supplying pressurized fluid to said spray nozzle means to provide radially outwardly directed fluid spray, means for rotating said shaft when the fluid is sprayed through said nozzle means to remove earth below the lower end of the pile so that the pile can be driven into the earth, and further fluid spray nozzle means for provideing fluid spray to facilitate upward transportation of the removed earth. A novel method for driving a pile, which uses the aforementioned novel apparatus.

1 1 u m 1| i 1 States 1191 1111 3,839,875 Matsnshita 1974 MllETlllUD AND APPARATUS FOR DRHWNG 1,493,651 5/1924 Swenson 61/81 x FILES 1,905,643 4/1933 Johnson 6l/53.74 3,081,828 3/1963 Quick 175/67 [75] Inventor: lKunijiro Matsushita, Toyokawa,

Japan Primary Examiner-Jacob Shapiro [73] Assignee: Kumagai Gumi Company Limited, 141ml X Agent FlrmLadas1 y Von Gehr,

pukupshi, Japan Goldsmith & Desehamps {22] Filed: Apr. 4, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT pp N05 3471978 An apparatus for driving a hollow pile comprising a rotatable shaft axially removably disposed in said pile [30] Foreign Application Priority Data and having first spray nozzle means provided at low er My 28 1972 Japan 47 76255 end thereof, means for supporting the shaft in said pile and axially removing it out of the pile, means for supplying pressurized fluid to said spray nozzle means to Ef'i 61/ f i gg; provide radially outwardly directed fluid spray, means 58] Fieid 175/67 for rotating said shaft when the fluid is sprayed 63 through said nozzle means to remove earth below the lower end of the pile so that the pile can be driven 56] References Cited into the earth, and further fluid spray nozzle means for provideing fluid spray to facilitate upward transporta- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion of the removed earth. A novel method for driving 890,245 6/ 1908 Moore 61/81 X a pile, which uses the aforementioned novel apparal,U24,820 4 1912 Bignell 6l/53.74 mm 1.024.823 4/1912 Bignell 61/81 x |,()65,229 6/1913 Estes 61/5314 X 2 Claims, 5 Drawing gu s PMENTED 1 8 I 74 SHEET 1 OF 2 FIG. 2

IVIE'IIIGII AND APPARATUS FUR DRIVING FILES The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for driving a pile, and more particularly to a noise and vibration free method and apparatus for driving a pile into earth.

In the art of construction, there has been an increased demand for development of a noise and vibration free pile driving technique in order to eliminate any adverse effect produced by the construction work.

A noise and vibration free pile driving is distinguishable from a conventional method, in that a pile is not mechanically driven as by hammer means but it is driven into the earth by its own weight or by using weight means or hydraulic press means. In order to have the pile advanced into the earth, the soil beneath the lower end of the pile is continuously removed by spraying water or air under pressure. The pile is usally of a hollow cylindrical configuration and the supply of pressurized water or air is made through the hollow interior of the pile. However, according to a known method of this type, the water or air spray cannot provide a satisfactory effect and the lower end or the interior of the hl low pile has often been clogged by loosened soil preventing a smooth advancing movement of the pile.

Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel method and apparatus for driving a pile which is free of the aforementioned problems.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novel method and apparatus in which a pile can be driven smoothly and effectively into the earth.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for driving a hollow pile into earth, which comprises steps of spraying pressurized fluid through rotating nozzle means provided at lower end of said pile to remove soil beneath the lower end of the pile, and spraying pressurized fluid in said pile for facilitating upward transportation of the removed soil. According to a preferable mode of the present invention, high pressure water is sprayed through said rotating nozzle means and pressurized air is sprayed in the pile for up ward transportation of the removed soil.

According to the present invention, there is also provided an apparatus for driving a hollow pile comprising a hollow shaft disposed in said pile and'having fluid spray nozzle means provided thereon adjacent to lower end of said pile, means for rotatably supporting said hollow shaft in said pile, means for rotating said hollow shaft second spray nozzle means provided in said pile, and means for removing said shaft and said first and second nozzle means axially out of said pile.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions of a preferred embodiment taking reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. I is a horizontal sectional view of a pile with driving apparatus in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the lower portion of the pile and the apparatus shown in FIG. I;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the apparatus; and,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of a swivel joint used in the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to FIGS. I and 2, there is shown a pile I of a hollow cylindrical configuration made of a suitable steel material. The steel pile I has at its lower end a ring 5 which is secured to the inner surface thereof by suitable means such as welding. Above the ring 5, there are disposed three arcuated plates 4 which are also secured to the inner surface of the pile I at a suitable distance from the ring 5 and with equal angular spacing with each other. A hollow tubular member is inserted into the pile I with the lower end projecting from the bottom end of the pile I. An annular plate I2 is secured such as by welding to the lower end of the tubular member II. Three shoe supporting struts 2 are disposed at equi-distant angular positions around the tubular member I and supported thereon by the annular plate I2 and three radial members 7. A shoe I3 is secured to the upper end of each of the struts 2. Each shoe I3 is of an arcuated shape and adapted to be held by the spacing between each of the plates 4 and the ring 5. Further, the shoe I3 has such a length that it can be moved out of said spacing through a space defined between two adjacent plates 4. A hollow tube 9 is inserted into the tubular member 8 and has a nozzle fitting 3 including radially outwardly directed nozzle openings I4. A water supply tube III is disposed in the tube 9 and connected with the nozzle openings I4.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and I, there is shown the upper portion of the pile I. A bracket I7 is connected at its one end with an arcuated strap member I7 by a hinge pin I8 and at the other end by bolts I9 so that the bracket I7 and the strap I7 is securely connected to the upper end of the pile I by encircling the outer surface thereof. The bracket I7 has bearing means II which rotatably supports an upper tubular fitting 20 connected to the upper end of the tube 9. The fitting ZII has a chain sprocket 2I secured thereto. A hydraulic motor 22 is mounted on the bracket 17 and has a driving sprocket 23 secured to the output shaft thereof. An endless chain 24 is disposed around the sprockets 211 and 23. Thus, the tube 9 can be driven by the hydranlic motor 22 through the sprocket 23, the chain 2% and the sprocket ZI.

The tube III projects upwardly through the tubular fitting ZII and connected through a swivel joint 25 to a water supply tube 26. As shown in FIG. 5, the swivel joint 25 comprises a rotatable part 25a and a stationary part 25b which supports rotatablle part 25a through bearings 27, The rotatable part 2511 is axially held on the stationary part 25b by means of a nipple 29 and a cap num 30. The reference characters 280 and 28b des ignate gas seal members.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, an air supply tubc I5 is mounted on the tubular member 8 and connected with a ring-shaped nozzle member In which is also mounted on the tubular member 8 and has a plurality of radially outwardly directed nozzle openings.

In operation, the tubes 9 and III as well as the nozzle member 3 are rotated by the hydraulic motor 22 as shown by arrows in FIG. 2 and water is supplied under pressure through the supply tube 26 and the swivel joint 25 into the tube I0 and then discharged through the nozzle openings I4 of the nozzle member 3. It is preferred that the water discharge is at least partly directed radially outwardly and downwardly. The sprayed water effectively removes soil at the bottom of the bore in which the pile I is to be driven. Thus, the pile I can be driven into the earth with a minimum effort. In fact, the weight of the pile I itself is often SUII'I' cient to have it inserted into the bore and if necessary additional weight means or hydraulic means may be employed to force the pile 1 into the earth. During the operation. pressurized air is supplied through the tube and radially outwardly sprayed through the nozzle openings in the nozzle member 16. The discharged air flow serves to assist the mixture of the soil and water to flow upwardly in the pile 1 so that it is possible to prevent the interior of the pile 1 from being clogged by the soil. It is preferred that the air discharge is directed slightly upwardly in order to introduce an upward flow of the mixture of the soil and water.

After the pile 1 is driven into the earth to a sufficient depth, the tubular member 8 is rotated so that the shoes 13 on the supporting struts 2 are aligned with the spacings between the arcuated plates 4. Then, the tubular member 8 as well as tubes 9 and 10 are lifted upwardly and taken out of the pile 1. Thus, the pile l is suitably positioned in the earth. It is further preferred that the water discharge nozzle driving torque is detected in terms of the hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic motor and the speed of the water discharge nozzle and the pile advancing speed are suitably adjusted in accordance with the soil condition of the earth.

The invention has thus been shown and described with reference to a particular embodiment, however, it should be noted that the invention is in no way limited to the details of the illustrated structure but many changes and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

1 claim:

E. An apparatus for driving a hollow cylindrical pile 1 into earth comprising a hollow tubular member 8 stationally but axially rcmovably mounted within said pile, a hollow shaft 9 rotatably disposed in said hollow tubular member and having lower end projecting downwardly over said hollow tubular member and also over the lower end of said pile, the upper portion of said hollow shaft projecting over the upper end of said tubular member and extending through a bearing means 11 secured on said pile, nozzle means 3 mounted on the lower end of said hollow shaft and having at least one radially outwardly directed nozzle opening, a water supply tube 10 longitudinally extending within said hollow shaft and communicated at its lower end with said nozzle opening of said nozzle means and at its upper end with a source of pressurized water through a swivel joint 25, means 21,22,23,24 for rotating said hollow shaft relative to said tubular member, means for supplying water under pressure through said water supply tube to said nozzle means, and second nozzle means 15, 16 disposed within said pile and attached to said hollow tubular member for spraying air in radially outwardly direction thereby to prevent the interior of said pile from being clogged by the soil.

2. An apparauts according to claim 1 comprising means 2, 4, 5, 6, 13 for mounting the hollow tubular member 8 in the pile in an detachable manner. 

1. An apparatus for driving a hollow cylindrical pile 1 into earth comprising a hollow tubular member 8 stationally but axially removably mounted within said pile, a hollow shaft 9 rotatably disposed in said hollow tubular member and having lower end projecting downwardly over said hollow tubular member and also over the lower end of said pile, the upper portion of said hollow shaft projecting over the upper end of said tubular member and extending through a bearing means 11 secured on said pile, nozzle means 3 mounted on the lower end of said hollow shaft and having at least one radially outwardly directed nozzle opening, a water supply tube 10 longitudinally extending within said hollow shaft and communicated at its lower end with said nozzle opening of said nozzle means and at its upper end with a source of pressurized water through a swivel joint 25, means 21,22,23,24 for rotating said hollow shaft relative to said tubular member, means for supplying water under pressure through said water supply tube to said nozzle means, and second nozzle means 15, 16 disposed within said pile and attached to said hollow tubular member for spraying air in radially outwardly direction thereby to prevent the interior of said pile from being clogged by the soil.
 2. An apparauts according to claim 1 comprising means 2, 4, 5, 6, 13 for mounting the hollow tubular member 8 in the pile in an detachable manner. 